the word upon your lips (break me down and build me up)
by MedusaOfTheSpecies
Summary: Teddy, Victoire, and sidestepping illusions. :: For QLFC round 3


**Written for QLFC round 3: Write about a Truth that is a love confession.**

 _Prompts: (quote) "You don't have a choice. It's do or die." (word) wither, (word) difference_

 **Last Ship Sailing Competition: TeddyVictoire**

 _Prompts: (word) direction, (word) postpone, (action) making a cup of tea_

 **House of Mirrors Challenge**

 _Prompts: Write about Teddy Lupin being disloyal, untrustworthy or unreliable_

 **Puppet Show Challenge**

 _Prompts: Teddy Lupin,(word) spicy, (word) invite, (word) hamburgers_

 **A/N:** **Warnings for major character death, swearing and far too much angst to be healthy.**

 _Thank you to the amazing Arrows for their constant support, advice, and help. I love you all._

 **x.X.x.**

"You must remember the most important rule of any successful illusion: First, the person must want to believe in it." -Lidda Bray

 **x.X.x**

He's Teddy Lupin of werewolf amber, two bloodlines worth of transformation pains, and the heavy syllables of the aristocracy. She's Victoire Weasley of courting heartbreak and beautiful lies and sugar-coated realities.

They're best friends _(always)_ and each other's best confidantes _(except about one thing)._

 _(The worst-kept secret is that happily-ever-after doesn't exist, especially for people like them)  
_ **  
.x.X.x.**

It's wrong to have a favourite family member and Victoire knows it, but that doesn't stop her from admitting Dominique is hers. Dom, with the bad attitude and rebellious streak and the line of suitors whose hearts she'll break.

"I'm not sharing," Dominique warns as she exhales another puff of cigar smoke. Victoire doesn't know whether she should be proud or heartbroken at what her little sister has turned into. She's not even sure there's a difference.

"It's bad not to share," Victoire says and the words sound dull even to her. Dominique snorts.

"Sure, honey," Dom says sarcastically, looking pointedly out of the window. Against all better judgment, Victoire's eyes follow until she sees Teddy outside of the window, smiling amusedly at Molly's blatant attempts at flirting with him. Something in Victoire's throat tightens.

Dominique laughs, slow and cruel. Victoire doesn't think, just acts. Dom's cigarette leaves ashes behind as it tumbles slowly out of the window. Dominique glares indignantly, but Victoire cannot bring herself to apologize.

 **x.X.x**

They run when the storm begins. They're eating dinner all together at the Weasley's house when George makes a joke that's just a little too cruel about Roxanne's new boyfriend _(they're all sharp edges and fake smiles this time around)_ and then Roxy's eyes are narrowing and she's screaming and before long, it's all chaos.

Molly accuses her mother of being a cheater and Ron screams at his wife while Harry flinches at the noise. Victoire feels like she's going to be swallowed by it all until she feels Teddy's arms pull her in the direction of the door.

When they get outside, she holds on him tight. He doesn't say anything, just apparates them both to his grandmother's house and when she chokes on her sobs, laying on his shoulder, he doesn't comment.

"Another fight?" Andromeda Tonks asks upon finding them curled up on her doorstep, teary-eyed with their jaws stubbornly set, mirroring each other.

Ted nods and Andromeda gestures them in without another word, something Victoire is eternally grateful for.

Andromeda makes them both steaming cups of tea and they sit in silence until Teddy breaks.

"When I have a family, it's not going to be this fucking dysfunctional," he snaps and she has to postpone that inevitable moment where he finds out that's impossible. She wants him to understand now, that the world is cruel and you have to be crueler, that happily-ever-after is a myth.

"Okay," she says instead and it's a lackluster answer but she can't stand to give him false hope.

"You too," he says firmly and she turns away so he can't see the heartbreak on her face. "You don't have a choice. It's do or die."

"Sure," she says and he's kind enough not to say anything else after that.

 **.x.X.x.  
**  
"Can I ask you a question?" Lily Luna asks quietly as they sit on the grass of the Potter backyard, away from the noise. They're eating hamburgers that Harry tried to grill and it's so spicy his mouth burns, but Lily invited him and he could never say no to her.

"Sure, Lils," he says and takes an exaggerated bite of his food. Lily giggles but she turns serious far too quickly and that's when he knows something is wrong.

"Teddy," Lily begins and then pauses the way she does when she's thinking. "You love Victoire, right?"

For a second, it's like all the air has been sucked out of his lungs. "Why do you ask?"

Lily shrugs and tosses her food back on her plate where it lies lifelessly. "I don't know what love is."

"Sure you do," Teddy says and he knows it's a lie. Ginny and Harry may love each other but they are broken people, jagged edges and endless nightmares. He can't call it love when they barely get through each day.

"Do you?" Lily questions, leaning forward to stare at her grass-stained sneakers. "Do you know what love is?"

Teddy wants to say yes, but his father left his mother and Teddy spent his entire life blaming him in the back of his mind. His grandmother stares at a photo of a dead man every night like he can save her.

"No, I don't," Teddy admits and he impulsively tosses his food out for the animals. Lily watches him silently.

"I don't either, no matter what you say," Lily says defensively. "That's why I asked. I was hoping you and Victoire—" she trails off.

"Victoire and I what?" Teddy prompts and Lily blushes miserably.

"I was hoping you and Victoire could work. So I could see what love really is," Lily admits and ducks her head shamefully. Teddy's heart breaks right there and then.

He would too if he could. He would go to Victoire right now and ask her to date him and marry him and stay with him, but he's seen too many relationships fall apart for that. His parents, dead in a blaze of glory; Ron and Hermione, screaming themselves hoarse; Angelina and George, trying to find someone else in each other eyes.

He couldn't break Victoire like that. Better they are best friends than try for a relationship that falls apart and makes them miserable and hate each other. Teddy would rather die than watch their friendship wither away.

 **x.X.x**

Teddy sits with Victoire on the floor of the kitchen. Around them, the large family mills around, drinking and eating. Everyone seems happy and it makes Teddy rage. Just a few days ago, everybody had been in fits, and now they have the nerve to act as if everything is perfectly fine.

Beside him, Victoire seems to be having the same problem if her frown is any indication. Teddy puts his arm around her and she leans in automatically, resting her head on his shoulder. Teddy feels himself relax into her touch when they hear screaming and cracking as if all the wards have frayed.

Teddy leaps to his feet, offering Victoire a hand up. She grabs it and they run, pushing through the crowds of their relatives.

 _(That's the end or the beginning or neither or both, but either way, that's when it all goes to hell)_

 **x.X.x**

In the spur of the moment, way back then, James and Fred unleashed a set of multi-coloured bouncy balls at Christmas, following in a legacy of troublemaking and adrenaline junkies.

Teddy remembers the dread in his gut and fear coursing down his bones at the sight of the multicolored balls flying everywhere and the confusion at his fear.

Now, as men in death eater robes fling curses at his family, Teddy understands, but it's a little too late because there's one flying right at Victoire's back and he moves before he can even think or scream.

 **x.X.x**

Teddy wakes up to the bitter smell of hospital disinfectant and the aura of death at his back. There are vials of potions at his bedside and he just knows, deep in his aching bones, that he was not meant to survive this but somehow he has.  
 _  
(Fate has always been cruel like that)_

Victoire is slumped over a chair near him and he honest-to-god _flinches_ when he sees her because she looks like she hasn't slept in weeks; her hair is matted and limply falls at her shoulders. She looks like she's been through hell.

"Vic?" Ted says and he hates the way his voice cracks on the word. Victoire shoots up.

"You're awake," she states with a look torn between relief and disbelief.

"Where is everyone else?" Teddy asks because sure, he's not the most popular and his family is a living train-wreck but they usually at least tolerate him. It's not like them to not show up when he's at the hospital.

Victoire takes a deep breath and he knows, without another word, that they're all dead. He and Victoire are the last ones.

"How long have I been here?" he asks desperately, a plea in his broken voice.

"Over a month," Victoire says and he almost falls apart at that, at the thought of Victoire dealing with her entire family dying for a _month_ without him.

He doesn't say anything, just opens up his arms and it hurts, but she falls into them without any regard and he holds her close, breathing in the scent of her perfume. It's heartbreaking but comforting and he lives for the knowledge that he is still not alone. Not when he has Victoire by his side.

"Where have you been living?" Teddy questions and Victoire closes her eyes, leaning back on the hospital bed with him.

"Here mostly," she says softly. "I only got checked out a few days ago. Aunt Gabrielle offered to take me to France with her, but I couldn't deal with it," Victoire says, choking on a sob.

Teddy holds her closer. "You're still sixteen though. Where will you go?"

Victoire bursts into louder tears at that, clutching at his hospital gown. Teddy feels hot tears begin to stream down his cheeks.

"I have no idea," Victoire whispers. Teddy closes his eyes and tries to imagine another year without Victoire. He has lost everyone. Not her. He can't do that again.

"Marry me," Teddy whispers and Victoire's eyes shoot open in confusion. "I love you. Please. Don't leave."

"Marry you? Now? Teddy, we have never even dated. What if it doesn't work out? You'll lose me too," Victoire exclaims.

Teddy sighs. Only he could fuck up this spectacularly, asking a girl who had just lost everything to marry him. "Vic, I can't do this alone. Please, marry me. If it doesn't work, we'll make it work."

Victoire sighs too, leaning further into his arms. " I love you, Teddy. I'll marry you but we have to get out of here. I can't live in Britain knowing that—" her voice trails off.

Teddy nods resolutely. "I'll get us Floo tickets tomorrow."

Victoire sighs bitterly, turning to face him. "This isn't how I expected to get together with you at all."

Teddy laughs, an equally bitter sound that echoes in the hospital's plain white room. The whole situation is a spectacular mess. His family is dead. He's getting married. He has nowhere to go.

But at least he isn't doing it alone.

"Me either. But at least we have each other," Teddy states, leaning over to kiss her gently.

"Together," Victoire echoes and takes his hand.  
 _  
(Tomorrow they will run but today, they will mourn together)_


End file.
